The Heroes Guild
by Adirake Montri
Summary: Shadow and Silver find themselves in a new land one they dont call thier own fighting wierd creatures like Balverines must be tough.


A Fabled Shadow – Chapter 1: The Heroes' Guild

Albion, a land of many legends and tales, home to many heroes and beasts, overrun by hobbes and the dreaded balverines. Hope may look bleak in such a horrifying time, but it lies within a place known as the Heroes' Guild. A sanctuary housing and training many to one day become skilled warriors of either good or evil. Whatever they may choose, it is their destiny that will unfold or be forgotten and neglected by the choices the heroes make. And often, innocence falls as a result.

Though not yet has it revealed it's demonic presence, Albion's greatest time of despair will rise sooner than anyone expected. Luckily, four heroes will rise and attempt to thwart the destruction of the world. Though they all maybe from different worlds from one another, they maybe our only chance at hope.

We begin our tale in a small town in Albion named Oakvale. Where a young boy lives with his father, mother and sister, Theresa. Oakvale, like any other day, is peaceful and quiet with a few towns people whom work together to make the town alive and well. The boy has drifted off to sleep on the porch of his home, suddenly being awoken by his father.

"Wake up son!" The man shook the boy by the shoulder. He jumped from his sleep and with drowsy eyes, looked up at his father. "Daydreaming again, eh? Do you remember what day it is?" The boy stared at his father with slight confusion.

"Tsk Tsk. You don't have a good time keeping up with the years do you? It's your sister's birthday today. Can't believe you've forgotten to get her a present again. Well...I'm not going to bail you out of this situation this time, son. But tell you what. I do have a few gold coins on me. I'll give you one for each helpful thing you do today, okay? Then you should have enough to pay for a gift from the town's local trader."

The boy thought for a second and dashed off down the hill. He had forgotten his sister's birthday many years before, but he did want to prove to her that he wasn't a forgetful pest. This year was going to be different...it was going to be special.

In a far off world, possibly a different time line, a fierce battle was being fought between two battle worn fighters and a gun blazing mech. One of the fighters was Shadow the Hedgehog. A black and red anthromorphic being known as the Ultimate Life Form whom wielded a staff and a gem known as a Chaos Emerald. The second was Silver, a telekinetic hedgehog with light gray fur. The two had been fighting the mech for many hours and were nearing victory. But the mech had more surprises then they could count.

Shadow was running at the mech, ready for a head on assault, when a beam of light blasted from it's chest. The hedgehog rolled out of it's way. With that fast blasting cannon, Shadow knew a direct attack was futile. He grabbed his green chaos emerald and held it in he air. "Chaos Contr-" Before he could finish, sparks flew from the emerald. He let it drop from his hand as the sparks grew intense, destroying the mech and other things around them. Silver made a dash behind him for cover.

"What's happening?"

Shadow held his arm over his face for protection. "Damn! This hasn't happened before! We better make a run for shelter, Silver!" As the two turned around the emerald exploded and then began to generate a hole, sucking the two hedgehogs in.

The boy ran a few feet away from his home when he heard laughing behind a house. He stopped and listened. It continued. Curiosity settled in his mind and he walked to the back of the home. There was a local man with a woman whom the boy had never seen around before. He approached the two.

"You're are my lovely little huggle puss." The man cooed, until he noticed the boy. "Uh, wha, erm. I don't know this woman! I've never seen her before!" He bent down to the boy. "Listen kid, I'll give you some gold if you keep hush about this!" The boy shook his head.

"Fine then. Just don't say anything to my wife. She'd bitch my head off into next thursday if she found out!"

The boy eyed the man, but continued down to the main part of the small town. As he began to look around he noticed a furious woman, failing her arms and cursing. The boy walked over to her with curious eyes. She settled down a bit.

"Hello there young one. Sorry 'bout my temper. I just can't find my husband. I baked him a pie while our children are out at play. But he's not at work! He's always gazing at women at the tavern and I've got other reasons of suspicion. Listen, tell me if you see his sorry hide, won't you?" The boy nodded and pointed to the house he just arrived from. The woman grew an angry disposition as she spotted the house. She stomped off towards it with content on murder. The boy rubbed the back of his as he heard yelling and screaming from atop the hill. He continued walking until he spotted a sobbing girl on a bench. He walked up to her and sat down. She looked up and sobbed more.

"I've lost my teddy bear, Rosie! She needs some repairs today and I can't find her! Please help me find Rosie!" The boy nodded as an acknowledgment. He got up and ran off in search of the missing teddy bear.

Shadow and Silver landed on a stone path with a thud. Shadow pushed himself up and looked around. In front of the two was a giant building. He gazed in awe as Silver got up and rubbed his head. "Oh man! What happened? W-where are we?"

"You are at the Heroes' Guild." A sophisticated voice said from behind. The hedgehogs turned around to see the face of the one who spoke. It was a bald old man in a robe.

"Who the hell are you?" Shadow asked in a cold voice.

"I am the Guild Master. I give advice to all of the young heroes here. I'd like to ask who you are as well. Out of all the creatures in Albion I've never seen any talking ones."

Shadow raised an eyebrow. "Albion?"

Silver scratched his head. "Is that some kind of state or continent?"

"No, no. It is all you see before you. It is the world we live in. I say, how long have you two been out of it?"

"So this isn't Earth?" Silver looked worried.

"Not at all."

Shadow looked at his faded emerald. "A warp hole."

"What?" Silver questioned

"It appears we have been sent to a different world. Somehow when my emerald malfunctioned it created a warp hole and sent us here."

"I take it you're newcomers then." The Guild Master chuckled. "I don't usually pick out the candidates, that's left to Maze. But seeing as you two just arrived and have no knowledge of Albion, why don't you stay here at the Guild and study up, participate in some training maybe?"

"You'll let us do that? I'm in!" Silver exclaimed.

"I guess we have no choice."

"Very well then. Follow me, I'll show you to the library."

After defending a helpless boy from a bully, retrieving Rosie the bear as a thank you, giving the girl her teddy and helping a man watch his stock whilst he answered a call of "nature", the lad now had done enough good deeds for four gold coins from his father. But as he approached his home he noticed that his father was busy fixing the fence. The boy didn't want to be a nuisance, so he thought it best to go inside and wait for his father to finish. He entered the home and wearily looked around. He noticed his sister's diary laying about the table. She usually stuffed it under her bed, so this was odd to the boy. A pen laid by the book of her thoughts. He assumed she had recently written in it. Though the boy intended on good things, evil still often crept in his mind. He made sure no one was looking and he flicked the diary open to the most recent entry.

"Tuesday, August 19 – I had a dream last night. I was opening my presents, one from my brother. He had finally remembered to get me one without father buying it himself. That gift was the most important one to me. I was overly happy. Then something happened. It was so devastatingly horrifying, I awoke with a sweat. Thankfully, it was only a dream."

The boy examined the entry once more, then closed it and ran outside to receive his reward from his father. The man heard his footsteps and turned to his son. "Ah! There you are. Several Towns folk have come to me and said you had done wonderful things. There you are, son...four gold coins for your hard work." The man handed the boy the coins. With a smile he ran off down the hill once more.

He came to a halt as he saw a man with a mustache. "Oh, why hello there sonny. I've heard from some folks that it's a girls birthday. I suppose you're here to buy a gift?"

The boy nodded. "Well, I have some chocolates, in a box with a red silk bow. I'll let you have it for 3 gold coins." The boy's face lit up as he gave his earnings to the trader. The man gave him the chocolates with a smile. "Tell the young lass I said happy birthday will you?" The boy nodded once more and ran off to Barrow Fields Gate, where his sister had gone to play earlier that morning.

Silver had his eyes glued to a book, like a kid with a mint condition action figure, while Shadow flipped through books taking in the information like a machine. "Balverines, trolls, hobbes? This world has some vicious creatures." Shadow said as he grabbed more books from the shelves.

"Well, we don't have to worry about dragons!" Silver said with relief. "This one dude slayed 'em all."

"Well good for him. But I'm trying to learn about the creatures we will actually see and probably have to fend for our lives from." Shadow picked up a book from the shelf and stared at the cover. "Nymphs? Great, not only do we have to worry about werewolves without tails, but we've got keep an eye out for homicidal tooth fairies as well." Shadow began to flip through the pages with his thumb.

"You know it would be cool to fight a dragon...no wait...ride one!"

The black hedgehog picked out another book. "Too bad they've all been slain. Oh well." He replied sarcastically. His eyes gazed at the title of the massive book he held. "Bandits, Assassins and You. Hmph!" He threw the book to his grayish companion. "Here Silver. You'll need to study this more than I do."

"And what makes you say that?"

"I've fought many assassins, let alone bandits. And you?" He asked as he grabbed a new book.

Silver sighed. "Fine." He opened the guide and began reading.

Shadow chuckled at his victory, then laid his eyes upon the book in his hand. "Magic, Spells and Will Power? I feel as if though we've been sent into one of those stories kids read at night!"

"You mean a fairytale?" Silver questioned without taking his eyes off of the book that was handed to him.

"Whatever. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to read up on this." He thumbed through the pages and placed the book back on the shelf.

Silver watched. "How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"You just flip through the books in under a second each, yet you take in all the words like you've spent hours reading them!"

"Well, I am the Ultimate Life Form after all."

"That's your answer for everything!" Silver growled.

"Maybe we should take up training in the field of this will power..."

"That's off the subject!"

"Hmm, you look tired hedgehog, maybe we should give it a rest for the day and head up to the room that the Guild Master showed us earlier."

"Finally! A nap is what I need right now." Silver got up from his seat and ran out the library doors. Shadow shook his head and followed the joyed hedgehog.

Silver slowed down as he got to the top of some stairs and walked over to the door on the left. As he entered, he was greeted by a young African girl. "I was warned about you two." She watched Shadow walk in the door way. "My name is Whisper. You're lucky this room has two extra beds available. All the other rooms are full."

"Wow. A female room mate..." Silver said as he blushed.

"Don't get any ideas fluffball. I might be a woman, but I know I can take you out!"

"Silver means no harm. He's just never...slept in the same room as a woman." Shadow explained.

"Silver? I take it your name is Black then?"

"Shadow..." He blankly replied.

"Close enough. Well, get use to this place. You'll be here awhile. Anyway, I've got some training to do." Whisper walked out the door. Shadow turned to the light gray hedgehog.

"You've got to watch what you say out loud."

His blush deepened. "I...didn't know I said it aloud. But what did she mean by 'ideas'?"

Shadow chuckled. "Forget about it. You're too young anyway."

"Huh?"

"Just take your nap."

"Okay" He said with defeat as he walked over to the bed by the window.

The boy slowed down to a trot as he got to the gate. His sister was playing inside a fence with a scarecrow. He approached Theresa and handed the box to her.

She gasped. "A gift? Father didn't buy it himself did he?" The boy smiled and shook his head. "Oh thank you!" She hugged her little brother. "This is almost like my dream! Anyway, let's return to the house, mother will return soon for my party." The boy and his sister began walking when Theresa stopped.

"Wait...what's that?"

A man ran in from the gate yelling. "Bandits! Run for you're li-" An arrow shot him in the back and he fell to the ground, bleeding and dead.

"No! You've got to hide!" Theresa shouted as she ran towards their home. The boy, frightened ducked behind a fence and watched the bandits rush in and slay everyone, burn every house and shoot everything with arrows. The boy shook in fear and hid until they left. After they were all gone, he got up and ran towards his house to check on his family. As he arrived, tears came to his eyes. His father layed there, dead. The boy fell to his knees and cried. As his home burnt he heard a scream and looked up. A bandit was running at him. The boy sat in fright, but the bandit stopped dead in his tracks and fell dead to the ground.

A man in a robe approached. "It's dangerous here. I'm pretty sure you don't want to join the rest of these people do you? Give me your hand..." He held his hand out to the boy. He hesitantly grabbed the man's hand and they both warped away.

The boy threw up for a third time and viciously tried to punch the man. "Calm down boy! I just saved your bloody life. I'm not the one who burnt your home after all! Listen, follow me." The boy weakly followed the man down a stone road as they approached a huge building.

"My name is Maze. I'm head of the Heroes' Guild, the structure you see before you. I'll take you to the Guild Master. He handles the training of our young heroes. He'll probably have some words of wisdom for you too." They entered the building and walked over to an old man in a green robe.

"This lad has just witnessed the fall of his village. He's in need of a place stay. Why don't you put him in the room with the girl."

"Well, he doesn't look like the hero type to me, but I suppose you know what you're doing..." The old man chuckled. "Follow me this way boy. I'll show you where you'll sleep from now on." The Guild Master walked up some stairs and the boy followed. They reached a small room and the old man pointed out a bed. The boy sat down on it.

"This is you're new home now. You'll be sharing this room with Whisper, our brightest young pupil and some other new comers." The Guild Master walked out of the room. The boy put his face in his hands and began to cry.

Shadow was resting against a wall as he watched the boy. Silver was disturbed by the weeps and woke up. "What the?"

Shadow placed his hand over his mouth. "Be quiet. I think he's falling asleep..." He whispered. Sure enough the boy slowly fell back on the bed and closed his tear filled eyes.

The young lad awoke to three faces staring at him. He jumped up and stared back in fright. "You must have had a nightmare. I've never heard some one talk so much in their sleep. It happens to most here on the first week." Whisper said to him. The boy's gaze drifted to the two hedgehogs with confusion.

"That's Shadow and Silver. They're new here too. From what the Guild Master said, they're new to this world as well. Speaking of the Guild Master...he's waiting for us in the map room. You better hurry, don't want to be late on the first day!" She ran out the door and down the stairs. Shadow walked after her mumbling to himself.

"She's only been here for a month and she's already got the ridiculous schedule down..."

Silver and the boy looked at each other. "Well...guess we'd better go too. Hey, I'm Silver. What's your name anyway?" The boy just stared.

"Can you talk?" He stared more. "Okay...uh, let's go down...stairs, shall we?" Silver walked out the door and down the stairs with the boy following him. Whisper and Shadow watched the two come.

"It appears he got tired of waiting and headed to the training grounds." Whisper stated as she walked into the dining room and headed for the door leading to the courtyard.

"Man, that old man constantly moves, doesn't he?" Silver said as he followed after Shadow. Shadow continued into the dining hall, but stopped as he heard a familiar voice.

"So there I was, trapped by the river, three of the most gruesome werewolves surrounding me..."

"You mean a balverine?" A hooded apprentice stated to the orange ottsel on the bar table.

"Yeah Yeah...suddenly all seven of 'em pounced, bloody teeth bearing in the dark! But I wasn't afraid, no sir! With my cat like reflexes, I jumped out of the way and climbed up one of their backs..."

"Oi! You got on to one of the beasts backs! No one's ever been that hard headed or brave before!" Another apprentice exclaimed.

"Orange Lightening knows no boundaries! Anyways, I stabbed it with a silver piece I found in the grass. It's howl was soul trenching. The other fifteen wolves backed off in fear of what I would do next! I glared at them, signaling that I was getting ready from my next move..." The ottsel took a sip of beer.

Shadow rubbed his forehead. "Oh God! He's telling another one of his foolish stories."

The people in the tavern clapped as the ottsel took a bow. " No need to thank me! It was a kid's game compared to the other fiends I've faced!"

"Like the Metal Heads you oh-so enjoy screaming like a girl at?" Shadow said as he approached the ottsel.

"Uh. ye...oh! Well, if it isn't my two side kicks! Shadow and Silver! Heh heh!" By the time the ottsel had finished chuckling, the people around the bar table had left outside to continue with other tasks.

"Way to go! You ruined my story!"

"Who cares besides you Daxter. I just can't believe they were buying it!"

"Oh, it's very true! I was really in the woods when those things showed up!"

"I know for a fact you didn't jump on one's back! No doubt you ran screaming."

"No I didn't! Uh...well, sort of..."

"Say, how did you end up here anyway, Dax?" Silver asked.

"I was with you two during the battle with the mech..."

"Hiding behind something?" Shadow questioned.

"Hey! You two low lives forgot about me, you know!"

"We were fighting for our lives!"

"Anyway, when you're emerald went buzz kill, I got dragged into that hole too. Apparently the smaller you are, the further it throws you..."

"Well...if you don't mind, we've got some training to attend to. You can tag along if you wish." Shadow stated as he walked out to the courtyard.

"Training? What for?" The ottsel turned to Silver.

"We got transported to this new world through that warp hole. So we've got to learn some new tactics to fight the creatures that live here..."

"Really? Well, who's the kid?"

"He's new here too. Uh, to this Guild I mean." Daxter jumped onto Silver's back quill and peaked through his front ones.

"Whatever. Let's just get this day over with. I'm bushed." Silver and the boy ran out the door to catch up with Shadow.

Shadow and the Guild Master were waiting by a dummy surrounded by a fence. "Ah, so you finally woke up. Are you ready to begin you're training, lad?" The old man asked. The boy nodded.

"Right then. You shall go first. Step into the fence and hit the dummy as hard as you can." The boy walked in and hit the stuffed dummy with his fist.

The Guild Master chuckled. "You're fists aren't doing you much good. Why don't you try using that stick over there." The boy picked it up and whacked the dummy's arm off.

"Excellent. Now let's see how Silver can do..."

"Me? Wha...I'm not very good with melee weapons!"

"Just give it a go. I'm sure you'll do fine."

Daxter hopped off his shoulder onto the fence as Silver entered and picked up the stick. He held it back and swung at the dummy. He hit it, but did little damage. The ottsel laughed as Shadow shook his head.

"Well...I suppose not." The Guild Master scratched his chin. "How do you usually fight?"

"I'm telekinetic. I just pick something up with my mind and..."

"Why don't you use your power to use the stick like a sword?"

Silver thought for a second. "Oh! I see!" He let the stick go, but it levitated up with a green aura around it. Silver held his right hand out and the stick slashed the other arm of the dummy right off.

"Hey! It worked!" He said with glee.

"Perfect now let's see what Shadow can do."

"Would I be allowed to use my own weapon?"

"Of course." The black hedgehog pulled out a blue staff with white marks on the tips. He entered the area and turned to the dummy. He held the staff in his left hand and pulled back his arm. As he swung, it may have looked effortless, but the dummy shattered into hundreds of peices.

The boy and the Guild Master looked in amazement. "Astonishing! I take it you've been in battle many times before!"

Daxter watched the hedgehog exit the fence. "Yeah! You haven't seen anything of what Shadow is capable of doing yet!"

"Quite, with strength like that, it would be cruel to let you fight Whisper."

"What?" Silver asked

"Yes, when you become apprentices, you'll have to face-" A bell began to ring. "The Guild alarm. There must be something out in the woods." Daxter shivered with fright as he hid behind Shadow's back.

"Good chance to test your bravery. Shadow, why don't you stay here and help with some things while Silver and the boy go and scope it out?"

"Fine."

"Uh, I'd like to stay and help out too..." Daxter stated as he jumped onto one of Shadow's quills.

The Guild Master turned to the light gray hedgehog. "Very well then. You and the boy need to go get rid of whatever it is. Here's you a stick, so you'll both have one."

"Are you sure wood will-"

"Off you go then. By ridding of whatever is loose in the Guild wood's, you both will receive twenty gold coins as a reward."

"Really? Alright then! Let's get moving." Silver said as he ran toward the woods with the boy following behind.

Daxter leaned against the black hedgehog's head. "Bet they don't make it out in ten minutes."

"Don't under estimate Silver, Dax. And the kid seems to have some potential too."

"What do you suppose those things are?" Silver asked as the two made their way up a slope. The boy shrugged. They both stopped as they saw what the creatures where.

"Over grown beetles? Wow, what a let down. I thought it was a wolf or something..." They took out their sticks and began whacking all the bugs with force until they all laid squashed in the grass.

"That was way too easy..." Silver said as he made his way back to the Guild.

The hedgehog and the boy exited the forest and were greeted by their guide and the other two.

"What did you and Dax do while I was away?" Silver asked.

"We had to set up another dummy in the battle ring." Shadow said with annoyance.

"Well, it's late. Why don't the four of you head back to the dorm rooms and get some rest. Tomorrow you shall begin your apprentice training." The Guild Master stated as he walked off.

"Finally! Sleep!" Daxter said drearily as Shadow walked up a flight of stairs that lead to the dorm rooms.

Silver rubbed his neck. "I have to say, that dummy did take a lot out of me. Some rest would be nice..."

They entered the room they had been in earlier. Whisper had already went to sleep, leaving two beds and a pillow on the floor. The four of them look at each other. Shadow sighed.

"I can sleep while standing against a wall..."

Daxter ran to the pillow and curled up. "Sleep, here I come."

The boy and Silver hopped into the other beds and dozed off. They had a long day ahead of them.


End file.
